Archive for the ‘Healing’ Category

If you love God…then you will send this email to ten people and God will bless you.

or

Forward this to ten people or God will smite you!

Well, I want to be honest about this and admit in the past I have gotten them and forwarded them. When I did, I did not really think about it much. Did I actually believe what the email said? Not really. Did I think about how someone who did not know God might respond? Nope. Did I even have a feeling or quiet prayer for those whose inboxes I just help fill a little more? Nope.

I truly believe people need a kind word, or a good thought at certain times during the day which is why I might have forwarded someone else’s words and thoughts, and perhaps it did accomplish the task – but I cannot be certain it did. What I am re-evaluating is what was in those emails.

The whole “if you” and “then” part is the most troubling. The formula for our Salvation was planned by God with a great Sacrifice. Who am I to send an email to someone and say because they do not forward something they will be judged or they do not love God – simple, I can’t.

If I think about someone who does not have a relationship with God, and they get these emails, I am pretty sure they will not be a step closer to Him – and it may make them take a step back.

The last thought I had about was the impersonality of clicking forward and just clicking names with little or no thought – spreading the Gospel? Probably not. Sharing the love? Not Really. Spamming? Ummmm.

Jesus died for all us, and I am pretty sure that He does not have to do it again because I did not forward an email to 10 people in 30 seconds.

Scripture says:

2 Corinthians 5:10

New International Version (NIV)

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

When I have read this verse in the past I said ” Oh boy” – I am in trouble! Luckily with the help of many spiritual partners in my life they reminded me not to take a verse out of context and look at the whole Word of God (++see commentary below).

So I have decided to do something different. If I get that email, I will pray for that person. If I read a comment on a blog or website and they are criticising God, I will pray for them. If someone is on my heart, I will hold them up in prayer or maybe even call them. To me, that will have more impact than a Fwd:Fwd:Fwd:Fwd:Fwd God loves you email.

Thank you Lord for the many avenues of opportunity to share our faith in this modern world, and help us use it as you might to reach those that are lost and those hurting in need.

Blessings,

Bob

DISCLAIMER: I hold no judgement on anyone that has done, is doing, or will do this.

++5:10 Degrees of reward in heaven are taught in this verse. Though Christians have their sins forgiven and will never suffer the punishments of hell Rom. (6:23; 8:1), they will all nonetheless stand before Christ at the Day of Judgment, to receive various degrees of reward for what they have done in this life (Matt. 6:20; Luke 19:11-27; 1 Cor. 3:12-15) This judgment will include a disclosure and evaluation of the motives of our hearts (1 Cor:4-5)

– “I am never going to get better”
– “I always get the flu”
– “I know I won’t get that job”
– “I never win”
– “I will never lose weight”

I know that I have, and it is something that I am working on because it is one of the most important things to get a grasp of for healing in all the areas of our life. We need to learn to expect that what we say will come to pass, because we have been given authority and dominion by God. And it does not just apply to those things around us, but ourselves, which is why we must use life speaking language.

Matthew 12:35-37

The Message (MSG)

33 “If you grow a healthy tree, you’ll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you’ll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree.

35-37 A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.”

What a powerful verse for us to remember. I like the analogy of the trees – how true it is. It does beg the question, how do I grow a healthy tree? How do I produce that healthy fruit?

Luke 6:45

King James Version (KJV)

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

The good treasure in our heart is the Holy Spirit, the word of God….faith. In order for us to be healed and stay healed, we need to fertilize our heart and soul with the word of God, prayer, and communion with the Holy Spirit. We need to praise the One who gives us true life – we need to speak those things that God says we are!

What does God say I am?

– I have access to the Father (Eph 2:18)
– I have been brought near to God through Christ’s blood (Eph 2:13)
– I have been called (Eph 4:1; 2Ti 1:9)
– I have been chosen and God desires me to bear fruit (Jn 15:1,5)
– I have been established, anointed and sealed by God (2Co 1:21-22)
– I have been justified (Ro 5:1)
– I have been shown the incomparable riches of God’s grace (Eph 2:7)
– I have God’s power (Eph 6:10)

So I challenge you to remember who God says you are and claim it with your heart and mouth, confessing all that God says you are and all that He says you can do, and expect what you say will come to pass.

Recently, my wife shared a story about how an individual who she knew ( through her WordPress blog), who had struggled valiantly against some very deep and emotional scars, and was taking steps towards healing working with the true Healer(Jesus) and her therapist. From what I have been told, she opened up and shared all of her feelings and experiences, that quite frankly, many of us are either too ashamed to admit or may have some condemnation when reading her blogs. What happened to her, what she had been through, had been causing her pain and suffering for many years. She lived through a nightmare most people wake up from, but for her, it must have been played in her head and heart every day, over and over again – FRIGHTENING. It appears she was a very open and honest person about what she had been through and how it affected her – her name was Sara.

I did not know Sara, but God knew Sara. I do not know what happened to Sara, but Jesus knew what happened to Sara. I do not know how Sara felt, but the Holy Spirit knew how Sara felt – and they all WEPT.

You see, it is quite simple – God is Good – he does not do bad things to people, he does not hurt them, molest them, kill them, beat them, verbally abuse them, sexually abuse them, etc.

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have
come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

I have no idea how hard it was to open up to God, her therapist, and the world about what she went through, what she was going through – but she had the courage of David facing the giants in the Old Testament. I thank Sara for her courage and allowing others to share their heart and hopefully find the healing that they need, and realize that our pain/fear must be addressed, no matter how difficult.

The one thing that I do know is that Sara is now healed – not an easy thing for any of us to accept, but we have God’s Word on that!

Revelation 21:4

Amplified Bible (AMP)

4 God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither shall there be anguish (sorrow and mourning) nor grief nor pain any more, for the old conditions and the former order of things have passed away.

Job 19:25-26

New King James Version (NKJV)

25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God,

Sara, I never knew you, never knew what you went through, but I know that He did and you are with Him, and I rejoice in the final healing. Thank you for your bravery, your openness, and your honesty.

May God bless Sara’s family and heal them, in the most wonderful and mighty name of Jesus!

As we begin to step out in faith and learn about healing, our initial step should be to find out what God says about healing. Our preconceived notions, experiences, and feelings have no impact on what God’s word says about healing. His word is the truth, and just like Him, His word has been, His Word is, and His word will be forever, Hallelujah!

Psalm 145:9

New King James Version (NKJV)

9 The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.

Acts 10:38

New King James Version (NKJV)

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

These scriptures describe the nature of God and what we mean to Him. As a believer, when I read this and internalize it, I can no longer say that I do not deserve healing because I am not good enough, because His tender mercies are over all His works. I also know that Jesus, the Son of God, went about His life and ministry “doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

I think it also very important to point out that in our new covenant with Christ, no where in the Bible does it say that God causes sickness, that He makes people ill – – it is the other guy, the devil. I will not spend much time discussing the other guy, because he likes that – he likes people’s hearts to question the mercy of God when it is him doing ill. He loves to whisper into the ears of those that are burdened, weary, guilty, and fearful. That is why we must focus on the Word of God for healing, for therein lies the promises of hope, healing, and strength against attacks on our health.

John 6:63

New King James Version (NKJV)

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

When we are saved, we have access to righteousness through the sacrifice of Christ – we need to remember that when a valley is ahead of us or around us. By reading the Word of God, we sustain the light of His spirit within us, sustaining us

Let’s encourage ourselves by spending a little more time with God by reading about who He is and what He thinks about us!

Hebrews 4:12

New King James Version (NKJV)

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.